Reproductive biology of the white shrimp, Penaeus schmitti (Decapoda, Penaeidae) in the Environmental Protection Area of Delta do Parnaíba-MA

• Autor(a) principal: Carvalho, Athina da Silva
• Data de Publicação: 2021
• Outros Autores: Silva, Ádila Patrícia Chaves, Diniz, Ana Luiza Caldas, Nascimento, Isa Rosete Mendes Araújo, Souza, Jéssica Pereira, Almeida, Zafira da Silva de
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Research, Society and Development
• Texto Completo: https://rsdjournal.org/index.php/rsd/article/view/18554
• topic: First maturation; Sex ratio; Tutóia.; Primera maduración; Relación de sexos; Tutóia.; Primeira maturação; Proporção sexual; Tutóia.

Penaeus schmitti is a species of great importance to the state of Maranhão, but studies on its biology are little known in the state, which makes it essential to conduct such studies, since they assist in the correct management of the species and consequently its preservation. Thus, this work aimed to characterize the reproductive aspects of P. schmitti in Tutóia, Maranhão, through macroscopic analysis of the gonads, length determination, sex ratio and first maturity. During the period of one year, 240 specimens were analyzed. The differences in sex ratio were tested by the chi-square test (χ2) at a significance level of 0.05. Regarding sex ratio, it was found that females were more representative than males, thus demonstrating, respectively, 57% and 43% of the total sample. When analyzing the distribution by length class of P. schmitti, it was noticed that females were bigger than males. The average length of females was 11.08 cm and males, 10.07 cm. It was not possible to determine the reproductive period of the species due to the absence of individuals in the mature stage. The size of the first maturity of P. schmitti was 9.49 cm. This value was lower than those found in other regions in the northeast of Brazil. In view of the information obtained, management and conservation measures for the species are suggested, aiming at the rational exploitation of the resource.